Even in Death
by psychobunny410
Summary: This fic is good enough that it needs no summary. It'd ruin it otherwise. So read and review! YuffiexVincent


**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything, but the idea of this fic. Square-Enix owns the characters. So don't sue as you won't get anything but dust bunnies from me. My lovely beta is PuppetofKankuro from deviantart. Good thing I had this fic beta otherwise it would have sucked badly. Enjoy!

* * *

Raining. It was always raining on this day. Not once had there been a year since the day past that it was not raining. It had been five years since the tragic event of Yuffie's death. Basically a year after the Remnants were dealt with. Cloud and Tifa were the first to arrive at the cemetery on Fenrir; they walked the rest of the way from the entrance. Both wore dark clothing despite Yuffie wouldn't have wanted them too. 

Tifa placed flowers on her grave as the small rain drops steadily fell from the darkened sky. After taking a step back to stand next to Cloud, brown hues glanced down the path after hearing another set of footprints coming in their direction. Cloud looked as well to see the pilot of the Shera coming with Cait Sith riding on Red XIII's back. "Looks like we always gather here to pay our respects to our fallen comrade on the same day she was buried," said Red XIII while bowing his head to the other two already here.

"Yeah. Barret, Marlene, and Denzel should be along shortly," Tifa said. She wasn't about to say Vincent was coming as he was never seen here. The brooding man never even showed up at her funeral. Although Rufus Shinra and the Turks had surprisingly showed. Reno was distraught over it, same with Rufus and Elena. But with Tseng and Rude, it was difficult to tell with how their expressions always were, although they weren't seen coming on that day every year afterwards.

Cid gave a small nod as he wished someone brought a large umbrella so they could huddle up and stay dry. Even though Yuffie never wanted anyone to be sad, it seemed like the sky had other plans on the day of her death, as if it cried when her friends tried not to. "You're not gonna cry, are ya, Cid?" said Barret as he noticed how his friend was silently looking at the grave. Light humor was in his tone as he said it with a small smile.

"You think I would actually do that? It's just the fact I vowed not to smoke on this day that would make her want to try to make me quit all together. Not going to happen," he protested, looking at the larger man and noticing Marlene and Denzel following not too far behind. Everyone wearing dark clothes wasn't a surprise to him, but Marlene carrying a large picnic basket cause him to arch a brow. Cloud and Tifa seemed had to have the same idea. "What's with the picnic basket, Marlene?" asked Cloud as Denzel pitched a large table umbrella.

Even if the rain water was going to still drip through it, it still would keep them mostly dry. "I figured we can have lunch with Yuffie while we talk about how great she was," Marlene said with a cheerful smile. Her adoptive father rubbed her head obviously liking her idea, unable to persuade her to give it up. "Dad!" She backed away behind Tifa to try and fix her mussed up hair, giving him a mock glare. Cid, Denzel and Tifa chuckled at her expense while Cloud smiled in amusement.

It wasn't as odd to see him smiling anymore since he knew he wasn't alone and had friends that are there for him. "I think Yuffie would love it if we stayed here longer than usual," spoke Red XIII, which meant them staying until late afternoon instead of until noon. It was about ten thirty in the morning.

* * *

Of course Yuffie loved it! Being apart of the Lifestream with Aeris and Zack and everyone else that previously died didn't hinder her being. She was reunited with her friend, but the others that were still alive weren't able to hear her anymore. They weren't able to have any fun. Most of all she missed Vincent. Ever since Cloud found him in Nibelhiem's basement sleeping in a coffin, they knew he couldn't die. 

Which meant once Cloud and his friends died, no one would ever meet up with him again in the Lifestream. That was the risk she took when she fell in love with him. Even gotten him to open up a little more than he usually does. "Thinking about them again, I see." Aeris said with a smile to the ninja. It was always easy to read her expressions and more so when there wasn't really anything to do in the Lifestream except watch over the planet and talk amongst the dead.

Yuffie smiled back, nodding. "Yeah. But you can't blame me for missing them. You and Zack are the same. We all miss them."

"Even if Cloud has been stubborn to accept all of you as friends for the longest time. Now he knows he is not alone anymore. But Spikey still needs to stop being dumb when Tifa obviously loves him and go for it." Zack laughed, finding it funny. Aeris wasn't coming back and he needed to move on. The ex-First Class SOLDIER would have if he was still alive right now, but still keep a place in his heart for Aeris, too.

* * *

"...and she got Cloud in the face with a piece of his own birthday cake." Tifa smirked, loving that moment as Cloud refused to have a birthday party and cake. But Yuffie thought otherwise and was going to make him eat the cake one way or another. They all now were sitting on the damp ground (on a blanket that wasn't helping much) under the umbrella eating sandwiches near her grave. The ex-SOLDIER just shook his head. _Why did that have to be brought up?_, he wondered, not finding it that funny even after it was several years it had happened.

"Cid didn't have to help out either." He shot the pilot a glare. Cid just gave him a cocky smile and shrugged. There was an opening and he took it, dumping a bowl of ice cream on his head. "What is cake without ice cream?" he said exactly when he did that with a laugh. Poor Cloud was just too much fun to pick on and would get a reaction from, unlike Vincent.

Red XIII was the first to notice other people were coming. His eyes turned away and in the direction where the footsteps were coming from. "What are you doing here?" questioned Cait Sith with anger in his tone. The others turned to see what caused the commotion. Rufus Shinra and the Turks were making an abrupt visit. Now they didn't know to be happy they actually remembered where Yuffie's grave was or to be angry that they showed up during their reminiscing.

"Looks like you guys remembered to bother with an old friend who helped take on Sephiroth and his Remnants," scoffed Marlene, crossing her arms over her chest. Rude was indifferent to their attitudes. Same with Tseng, but Elena looked hurt, Rufus frowned in disappointment and Reno was upset. Elena walked over to the grave, moving around the AVALANCHE group, and placed the flowers they bought on Yuffie's grave next to Tifa's.

"Well, we have been busy, yo," Reno stated. It was still tough running Shinra when it was hard to keep the public trusting you after all that has happened several years ago, although they have rebuilt and gotten more employers since Kadaj and his gang was taken care of. "So don't make us out to be the bad guys again. We reformed, yo." The redhead shook his head in disappointment.

Rufus dismissed the small batter as he looked at the group. Someone seemed to be missing from this little get together at the Wutai ninja's grave. "Where's Vincent?" he asked. They all looked at each other before Tifa spoke up. "Vincent doesn't show up. I think he's still distraught on what happened." She titled her head to one side while looking at Reno. "What exactly happened anyway?"

Reno shrugged. Even if he was there when she died, he really didn't know what happened. "I really don't know myself but Vincent would know. Although he wouldn't breathe a word like the way he hardly talks about his past, yo." He said as they joined the AVALANCHE members under the umbrella.

Cid shook his head. "You got that right. Vincent never talked a lot since we met and there was no pushing an issue out of him. No matter how hard you try." The blond smirked. "Something Yuffie was known to do with him quite often." There was no telling her to back off when she was prone to do it anyway. Like when she spotted materia and stole it off of a person.

Elena took a sandwich out of the basket and began munching on it. "She was very persistent," she said with a smile, having seen it happen once or twice. Yet she was persistent in her own way by trying to get Tseng to lighten up. Not like she was able to get him to lighten up that much.

"Doesn't it seem strange that it would rain on the day Yuffie was buried?" asked Rude after a long pause while everyone ate. His brows narrowed in thought. Like he just realized it rain on this day every year and not a sunny day was present or even a cloudy day. Reno looked up at his partner like he has finally lost it. It rained whenever the weather wanted it to rain. There was no controlling it.

Tseng shook his head at his bald headed comrade. "Not in the least bit."

"Actually it always rains on this day," Tifa said with a sigh. There really wasn't a reason to explain it either. It was just as it was.

* * *

"Is it always this hard to watch over everyone, Aeris?" asked Yuffie. She thought it to be a touchy subject but waited till now to finally ask her. It was hard to see her friends alive and kicking and having fun without her. One of the reasons why she never looked below the Lifestream that often. 

Aeris shook her head. "Not at all. Just seeing them live is enough for me."

"Yeah the same goes for me with Cloud. He's my best friend and I wanted him to continue living even if I didn't. So far he's been doing just as I asked him to do." Zack folded his arms across his chest. "Although it makes me wonder if he even remembers me saying that to him while he was practically out of it when we headed to Midgar after escaping Shinra."

Yuffie understood what he was saying. She looked back down at The Planet while watching her friends talk in front of her grave like they were talking to her if she was still alive. She wasn't forgotten. Neither was Aeris. Although it made her furious that the one she loves hadn't bothered to join them or came to visit her grave at all. _Ooooooo, if I was still alive he would so get a butt-kicking for not visiting one of our friend's grave if they died instead of me_, she thought.

* * *

Once Cid felt like he wasn't going to eat anymore and the sandwiches were basically going fast since the Turks showed up, he pulled out a toothpick and began chewing on it. It was the only way to see that he was craving a cigarette. "Losing your edge already, Cid?" smirked Barret. Reno smirked as well seeing as he never saw the pilot go without smoking this long before.

"Reno," Rufus said warningly. You didn't work with someone for years without knowing how they work. Especially a troublemaker like Reno. He lowered his jaw and gave his boss a look like saying, "What? I wasn't going to do anything, yo." Rude just shook his head. Even if Rufus was warning him, his partner knew he was still thinking of a way to get Cid to snap. Whether it'll be a good thing or not was hard to say.

"Is it always this entertaining with him?" Cait Sith asked.

"Just as entertaining as the person controlling you thinking you're real," Reno shot back. Ooo, burn! Now what are you going to do Reeve? Cait Sith jumped off of Red XIII's back and went to flail his fists at the cocky redhead. Cloud reached out to grab the cat by the scarf as Reno went to put up his arms to block the attacks.

"Enough you two. We're suppose to be talking about Yuffie," he stated. "Not fighting amongst each other." Mako blue hues glanced between the both of them. Cait Sith crossed his arms over his chest as he raised his nose in the air, facing away from Reno. "As long as this snot-nosed brat doesn't talk bad about me."

"Fine. Whatever, yo," Reno said with a dismissive shrug. It was either tempt the ex-SOLDIER by fighting with the animatronic feline or back off. The latter was the cause but he wasn't going to forgive Cait Sith for calling him a snot-nosed brat. It was hard enough that Reeve was off some where (probably in one of his many safe houses) controlling Cait Sith so that he couldn't deal with him personally.

Satisfied with the result, Cloud set the feline down back where he was sitting. A slight breeze developed, causing the cool day seem a little cooler with the rain. Tifa rubbed her arms to warm up while Marlene cozied up with Denzel. "Does anyone have any other stories to share?" asked Elena while looking around the group. Why end it so soon? Rufus gave them all the day off so why not use it.

"Shit, I remember Cid having to yell at her not to hurl on his airship and she did the one and only time for being air sick." Barret laughed knowing how much Cid cursed that day while having to be the one to clean up since everyone bailed when they landed to not be put on clean up duty. "Everyone never moved so fast getting off when he landed."

Cloud cracked a smile as he was the first to bail when Cid mentioned everyone had to help mop the floor. Everyone else just followed suite minus Cid. "Shut up! You're not the one who had to clean her mess up. That was the last time I let her ride on a full stomach. And she knew she gets air sick too." He shook his head. Wait a minute he just spoke in present tense about her. Wellm looks like it's not hard to forget she was dead after all while talking about her.

"Man, if anyone hurled on my helicopter, I'd force them to clean it up with their toothbrush," Reno stated as being a helicopter pilot it was his pride and joy. Skip driving cars; helicopters were the way to go. Rude chuckled as Reno would really do that, too.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. Except no one else is that air sick," Cid said with a nod.

Red XIII chuckled. "Just to think I would be excluded from that as I can't use a toothbrush." Seeing as he was a four legged animal instead of two like humans are. So he and Cait Sith were the lucky ones out of all of them on that assumption.

"Yeah you are one lucky mutt," he had to admit, even if the pilot wasn't there at the time when Red XIII was rescued from the mad-scientist Hojo. It was a good thing Rufus wasn't planning on doing anymore operations like his father was doing before he took over as president. AVALANCHE would have to kick their asses once again. And there would be no problem right now since everyone is together.

* * *

"Aeris," Yuffie spoke up after thinking over something, "if you can control anything for being an Ancient while in the Lifestream. How come it always rains on this day? Can't you make it stop?" The ninja had all the time to have asked her friend that since she created the purifying water to cure the Geostigma. So couldn't she control the weather as well? Like when she took Kadaj into the Lifestream. 

Those three were pests still but at least Sephiroth's Remnants couldn't cause any harm here. Yuffie made sure to stick with Aeris and Zack in the Lifestream and away from them. No matter how many years have past she would never forgive them. "Sorry but another force is at work otherwise they would be seeing a sunny day. It seems there is a reason for it to rain." Aeris seemed to smile at the reason for her friend. It wasn't a sad smile either.

Zack wrapped his arms around his girlfriend while smiling at the naive Wutai woman. He had caught on to the meaning behind the rain too. "It's not that hard to think of, Yuf."

* * *

"Can it, ya pipsqueak," stated Cid as he had Reno in a headlock. Obviously, the redhead couldn't keep his mouth shut long enough. Tifa just shook her head at the two while Barret laughed and Rude smirked. "Just because I have a wife doesn't mean she has me whipped. But at least I didn't have to try and impress her like ya do with every woman you lay your eyes on. Probably why most don't give you a chance." Reno kept trying to push Cid off of him, but even being a Turk, it was pointless against the spear wielder.

Elena couldn't help but dog her teammate with what was going on now. "Also word does get around you among the women and how you don't like commitment other than a one night hook-up." Even she had more sense than to use someone for sex. But she was with Tseng, so it didn't matter much. At least they have a relationship unlike some people. Reno pouted for being picked on by her and what she said. "That hurts, yo. I just haven't found the right one yet."

As he said that he also tugged back and Cid let go at the same time causing him to fall backwards on his ass. Marlene giggled which Denzel rolled his eyes at. He didn't find it that amusing that Reno got what was coming. Cloud thought otherwise as he smiled lightly at the Turk's downfall against his older friend. "I have some things to do still. So I'm going to head off. Hopefully next year we'll come to visit Yuffie's grave and talk like this again," Rufus said as he pushed himself up into a standing position.

"Later, yo." Reno said as the others left with Rufus most likely to go and do their own thing on their day off. "Oh, Cid,"--the Turk turned to look at the pilot--"don't blow a gasket for not smoking for the next ten hours or so." A grin plastered on his face since he still couldn't get over the fact that Cid Highwind vowed a day from smoking. That caused Cid to glance around to see if there was something heavy to throw at the punk.

"Fuck you, Reno. At least I have self-control!" he yelled at him while flipping him off. The Turk just howled with laughter as it was the reaction he was expecting. "Cid, must you give him what he wants?" asked Denzel while frowning. The blond pilot just gave him a stern look which made him not say anything more. Of course he was right and Reno only wanted to rile him up more. No matter how many years past and things change, some people didn't.

Red XIII grinned in thought. "You know Yuffie would have chased after him and take him down if Reno talked to her like that? But not after making a remark back." The redhead wouldn't know what hit him. The breeze seemed to stay at a steady pace making things cool. Thus, causing the girls to shudder and wishing they would have dressed warmer. "Maybe we should get going," suggested Cloud, not wanting anyone to catch cold.

"Alright, let's meet back at 7th Heaven and who knows. maybe we'll find Vincent there," Tifa said with a hopeful smile. Why cut the time together short when no one had anything else to do on this cruddy rain filled day. Cid, Red XIII and Cait Sith all took their leave while saying they'll meet the others there after Cid goes to pick up Shera. She respected Cid for wanting to go to Yuffie's grave with the others but would like to hang out with his friends if he was going to afterwards. It wasn't surprising as she was pregnant with their first child.

Another thing Yuffie couldn't poke fun at him about or play babysitter. But at least he wondered if being in the Lifestream let her know what was going below and know he was going to be a father. While Denzel was helping Marlene pick up the damp blanket, Barret folded the umbrella and was carrying it with him while walking and talking with Tifa and Cloud out of the cemetery.

There was no way he'd fully leave them here alone. As the dark skinned man was going to wait for them when Cloud and Tifa headed off on Fenrir to the bar. A few yards away, there was a large tree with lush vegetation that was still holding out, as fall was drawing near. Vincent Valentine stood behind the tree with his back pressed up against the trunk so that the others couldn't tell that he was there.

His dark hair was matted to his head from the rain and his clothes were soaked. It didn't seem to bother him one bit as he was basically immortal. So no cold or pneumonia or hypothermia was going to slow him down. Crimson hues were focused on the damp ground. He had heard everything they had been talking about. It wasn't that hard when they were the only denizens in the graveyard. That are still breathing, that is.

When the Turks arrived, the pale man swore he saw Reno notice a glimpse of him and would figure he'd give him away. Guess he was wrong, though. Or that Reno actually decided to leave him be and kept his mouth shut for once. Rain water dripped down his cheek from a short strand of hair making it look like he was crying. He didn't bother to wipe it away as more rain would take its place.

How'd that saying go? I like standing in the rain because you can't tell if I'm crying. Or something like that. Well, in Vincent's case it wasn't true. Even though he has lost his second love, he couldn't cry no matter how hard his heart ached. Tears have failed him ever since Hojo made him the way he is now. Although, he didn't need to cry since the Lifestream seemed to understand and do it for him.

Vincent removed his right hand from underneath his red tattered cloak to gaze upon the single deep red, thornless rose he brought with him. "Denzel, c'mon! My dad's not going to wait for ever for us!" Marlene said with a light smile as she turned around near the end of the pathway while waiting for him to catch up. "Barret is not as bad as Cid, though. Except I wouldn't trust him to have pulled a page out of his book. So let's hurry," he said while carrying the basket with the blanket folded inside.

Vincent looked over to see Marlene take off running with Denzel soon after; both having a good time and laughing in the rain as they were heading back to Tifa's bar with Barret. He could just imagine Yuffie trying to get him into playing in the rain. Either that or cuddling inside a nice, cozy house. It would be the latter of the two.

Not that he'd let her win so easily. Even if they were once a couple. Some things were just too hard to break, but he still managed to enjoy her company; albeit she was too hyper at times for him to handle. _Why couldn't I have been there earlier? You still would be alive today if..._ If... it would always be if, wouldn't it? Vincent shook his head as those 'if' thoughts and questions were always with him.

* * *

Yuffie couldn't believe it. "Aeris! It's really him! He finally decided to lurk about in the graveyard, the jerk. So why doesn't he visit my grave? It'll mean more than anything to me if he did. Even the others wouldn't mean that much." The Wutai ninja sighed in disappointment towards her love. 

Zack laughed at her naiveté. Aeris just smiled sweetly at her friend's misunderstanding of things. "Because he knows it will. He just can't go through with it."

"Remember what he kept telling you before you two went out?" Yuffie mouthed 'oh' as Zack jarred her memories. "Yeah now you know why he's not going any closer to your grave. Besides this is not his first time lurking in that spot. Aeris and I just wanted you to find out for yourself," Zack said with a solemn smile.

Yuffie couldn't believe they didn't tell her that. Except it was partially her fault for not paying close enough attention. But Cloud and the others normally didn't stay that long either. At least she didn't have to be mad at him any longer and would have to watch over that area to see if he came everyday. Either way she felt extremely loved and touched.

* * *

Vincent let out a deep sigh as he was alone with everyone gone. He just couldn't get up the nerve to walk over to Yuffie's grave and place the rose with the rest of them. Never had, never will. It was just too painful. It was quite funny though as he could hear Yuffie's voice inside of his head yelling at him to go do so. If she was still around, she'd physically make him go do it too. Kind of funny that he let no one effect him but she managed to weasel her way into his life.

For the better and for the worst.

The dark haired man smiled while staring at the deep red rose. _'How many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't keep thinking about the past when you do have a future, dummy?'_ He could just picture Yuffie scolding him with an angry puffed up face while poking him on the cheek. "Sorry, Yuffie. Looks like I'm getting stuck in the past again and you're not here to help me get out of it." He was about to add,_ 'because it's my fault you're not here,'_ but didn't.

Pushing himself off of the tree, the brooding man turned and set the rose down at the base of the tree. "I still love you, Yuffie Kisaragi," he whispered letting the wind carry his words away as he shifted into his red mist form and moving on till next time. Above the red rose was carved very intricately, "Vincent + Yuffie Evermore" in a heart.


End file.
